Written by LetsBuild
Last updated March 22, 2024
You’re a leader in your company – we know you’ll do whatever it takes to stay competitive in the construction industry.
Attending construction events and trade shows is a great way to grow your business, expand your network, and learn about new methods, materials, and processes. And who knows, you might even find your biggest client at a trade fair.
The construction events we’ll discuss in this article are ideal for construction executives, senior managers, and those working on digitalisation. You’ll:
- Learn about new technologies making an impact on the industry
- Hear the top construction decision-makers speak and run workshops
- Create new partnerships with other organisations
- Discover new ideas to run your business more smoothly
- See what’s happening in the industry and discover the trends driving those changes
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What does the European construction industry look like right now?
A growing demand for infrastructural development, urban housing, and energy-efficient renovations is driving the construction market across Europe.
- The European construction industry is estimated to see a CAGR of almost 5% between now and 2028.
- Research also suggests healthy growth between 2023-2028, estimating a market outlook of almost 3,500 billion USD.
- Sustainable construction and integrating various technologies are the key trends in the European construction market.
10 Construction events in Europe you don’t want to miss in 2024
You can find great construction trade fairs all over Europe year-round, and while you might want to visit them all, there’s no way you can fit in more than a few events each year with your busy schedule – we know all about the problem.
No matter what your schedule looks like, you’ll want to attend at least one of the following construction events in 2024!
1. UK Construction Week 2024
One of the next big construction events in 2024, UK Construction Week’s 2024 trade show, is coming up soon—October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the NEC in Birmingham.
Supported by hundreds of partners and sponsors, professionals from every construction sector will find demos and events helpful to their organisation at UKCW Birmingham.
You’ll hear lectures from diverse industry experts and policymakers tackling topics from social value and the skills crisis to building safety and regulation.
2. BIM World 2024
BIM World is coming to Munich for two days only: November 26th and 27th. Held at the ICM International Congress Center Munich, this construction trade show includes exhibits from some of the top construction brands in the world, like Autodesk and Procore.
With over 500 combined exhibitors and speakers, BIM World 2023 expects to bring over 8,000 visitors and construction professionals from across the globe.
BIM World will cover some of the most important current topics in the industry, including emission reduction, digitalisation, collaboration, safety, sustainability, and efficiency.
3. Nordbygg 2024
Kicking off 2024 is the largest construction event in the Nordic region: Nordbygg. Taking place April 23rd through the 26th, Nordbygg draws close to a thousand exhibitors and attendees from all of Scandinavia, Europe, and the Baltic states to its trade show located at Stockholmsmässan in Stockholm, Sweden.
Nordbygg focuses heavily on networking, connecting with new suppliers, and discovering the latest innovations in the construction industry.
While wandering the halls of Stockholmsmässan, you can sit in on over 200 seminars, meet industry experts, and get specific advice from market-leading construction professionals.
This event does run through the same dates as World of Concrete Europe and Intermat, but the good news is that Nordbygg takes place every year!
4. World of Concrete Europe 2024
If your organisation works with concrete in any aspect, the World of Concrete Europe 2024 is a must-attend construction event—this four-day event runs from April 24th to April 27th at the Parc des Expositions in Paris.
This construction trade show focuses on the concrete sector and has product offerings for every stage, from manufacturing to application.
Concrete demos will feature the newest products, methods, and equipment used by concrete sector specialists. You’ll also want to attend the educational forums, where industry leaders speak about every concrete topic under the sun.
5. Intermat 2024
If a concrete expo isn’t relevant for your company, then you might still want to visit the Parc des Expositions in Paris between April 24th and 27th for Intermat 2024, which also hosts World of Concrete Europe.
Intermat 2024 will draw over 1,000 exhibitors representing construction professionals from 37 European countries.
You can expect to come face-to-face with the biggest brands in construction, meet the top suppliers and manufacturers, build relationships with construction industry leaders, and discover the latest technological trends.
Plus, with 30,000 sqm of demo space, you can watch live demonstrations of various construction equipment in real-life working conditions.
6. BuildTech Week 2024
BuildTech Week is one of the most exciting construction events that takes place annually. So clear your calendar for May 13th and 14th and start making travel plans to NH Collection Barcelona Podium in Spain.
Key speakers from across the UK, Europe, Canada, and the US will be around to discuss topics from building materials and engineering to the application of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and robotics in the construction industry.
It’s a one-of-a-kind trade show that focuses on science and technology for the commercial and residential construction sector. Attendees will get exclusive networking opportunities with hundreds of international and regional brands.
Plus, the hundreds of registered visitors include professionals from contractors and developers to civil engineers and government construction experts.
7. Digital Construction Week 2024
If, like many construction firms this year, you’re working toward better digitalisation, you won’t want to miss Digital Construction Week 2024 – June 5th and 6th at ExCeL London.
You’ll learn about the latest trends changing the built environment from expert speakers, including Andrew Pryke of BAM Construct UK and various leaders from the GIIG.
In addition, over 150 groundbreaking construction tech brands will be demoing new tools and solutions at the expo. Plus, with thousands of attendees from around the world, you can collaborate, connect, and share with professionals across the digital construction community.
8. Batimat 2024
Next up, we have Batimat 2024, occurring from September 30th to October 3rd at the Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles—an international and multi-specialist event for construction professionals of all disciplines.
This 4-day trade show features over 1,300 exhibitors, 450 conferences, and 100 live demonstrations.
These exhibitors include global material manufacturers and suppliers, professional organisations, and service companies.
Previous Batimat events drew almost 90,000 visitors, with over 50% of them being expert project managers, developers, and tradespeople, making this trade show a must-attend for networking professionals.
Exhibitors and demos cater to project management, building architecture, urban planning, and manufacturing/distribution companies in the industry.
9. Construtec 2024
Construtec 2024 is an exciting international construction event held to exhibit the newest materials and techniques in the industry – book your calendar for November 5th through the 8th to attend Construtec 2024 at Ifema Feria de Madrid in Madrid.
In 2024, Construtec will feature two new sectors at the event: Construtec Zero and ConstruTIC, promoting sustainability, energy efficiency, and a focus on digital construction technologies like IoT and automation and control.
At Construtec, you’ll have the opportunity to network with 90,000 attendees and over 1,500 companies and participate in hundreds of meetings and activities with construction professionals from 100 countries.
10. Bauma 2025
While this event will take place in China and India during 2024, you’ll have to wait until 2025 for Bauma to come to Europe, but we wouldn’t include it in our list of top construction events without a good reason. Bauma 2025 will take place at the Messe München in Munich from April 7th through the 13th.
Bauma is one of the world’s leading construction trade shows for machinery and construction equipment.
The key topics of Bauma 2025 will surround digitalisation and sustainability, two of the key trends happening in the industry right now. Key speakers will address topics from climate neutrality and sustainable construction to data management and alternative construction methods.
How to prepare for and get the most out of these construction events
Construction events and trade shows are a big deal in the industry—however, they’re not all about the latest technology and solutions. These events are also one of the best ways to grow your network!
It’s impossible to keep up with the names and faces you meet at construction trade shows; you want people to remember you. And there’s no better (or simpler) way than handing out business cards.
That said, we have two tips to leave you with to ensure you get the most out of the next event you attend:
- Look at the descriptions of educational lectures and workshops ahead of time to plan which ones you want to attend—don’t just sign up for “something” when you get there.
- Don’t be shy with session speakers; they’re at the event to help you. Ask questions they didn’t address or for recommendations on additional resources to reinforce what they discussed.
That’s it; remember to look out for the LetsBuild team at the next construction event you attend!
